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There are so many wonderful photos of the Rhine, on the web, we decided to included some of those links for your viewing since some of our photos pale in comparison. Most are of the same views that we took. A fantastic collection of Rhine River photos****** Photos by Jim Steinhart Photos by M. Schumacher Photos by rudesheim-rhine.info more from rudesheim-rhine Photos by klaes-w.de Photos by Bolliver Photos by G. R. Frysinger Photos by TeleComp Germany Home Page Our Home Sign our Guestbook |
Ron & Kathy's Journal
Germany, May 2002
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Cruising along the Rhine isn't free,
but it is a lot cheaper than it once was.
Day 3: We booked this day trip through our hotel, the Hilton Mainz. A bus picked us up near our hotel and took us to our departure point to start our cruise. We grabbed a seat on the top deck of the boat. Sitting outside on the Solaris Deck, you get a great view of the ever-changing scenery. It was a most relaxing day as our ship, the VATER RHEIN (Father Rhein), smoothly made its way down the Lower Rhine River's rolling green hills, old-world towns and villages.
The following is a list of the castles we saw along the Rhine. Each link has historical information on that castle and will tell you if it is privately owned or opened to the public. Each will open in a separate window.
Our cruise started at Rudesheim, then proceded with views of Brug (castle) Bomserburg, and Burg Klopp in Bingen, at the junction of the rivers Rhine and Nahe. We then saw the Ruin of Ehrenfels Fortress, making a most picturesque sight.
As one breathtaking castle view after another appears, we ooh and aah and try to keep our thumbs out of the way as we shoot frame after frame of authentic Rhine River pictures to be shared with family back in Louisiana. Next was the site of Old Mauseturm (the Mice Tower) where the story was told of a cruel man that was devoured by mice. Assmannshausen is then followed by the town of Trechtingshausen Above and around this town sits Burg Rudesheim, Burg Reichenstein, and Burg Sooneck.
Niederheimbach lying at the entrance of the Heimbach Valley is dominated by Heimburg Castle's 82-ft.-high tower above it.
Lorch, Wispertal, Ruin Nollig, Lorchhausen,
and Ruin Furstenberg are followed by Burg Stahleck in Bacharach. It could not have been a more beautiful day for a cruise.
RON takes advantage of the peaceful enchantment of the Rhine to enjoy a beer.
(Castle Stahleck in the background)In the late middle ages, Falzgrafenstein (Pfalz im Rhein), together with Gutenfels Castle and the fortified town of Kaub, formed a powerful military barrier in the Rhine valley. We soon see the colorful Schoenburg Castle, or fortress, dominating a little village called Oberwesel followed by Burg Maus at St.Goarshausen.
The most amazing legend told to us on the cruise was of a beautiful nymph. As the German legend goes, there was once a beautiful young maiden, named Loreley, who threw herself, headlong into the river in despair over a faithless lover. From that time on, she could be heard singing on the rocks along the Rhine River, near St. Goar. Her hypnotic music lured sailors to their death. To us she was just a lovely song played in its entirety on the boat's loudspeakers.
The last site we saw before departing from our river cruise was Fortress Rheinfels, the biggest castle ruin in West Germany above St Goar.
We got back on the bus at St Goar and made one stop before heading back to the hotel. We stopped at the Gewölbe-Weinkeller (wine cellar) of J. Jung Söhne. It was a rock cellar, underground. After passing through the barrel cellar
we came to an alcove with several tables that were set up for wine tasting.
We had several good ones and of course, we came away with a bottle of bubbly.
May turned out to be a wonderful month for our journey, with no crowds at all. Just Magnificent!
We journeyed halfway around the world to cruise the mighty Rhine, even if only for a four or five-hour leg. We realized that we were experiencing the same legendary magic of the river captured by poets and painters throughout time - the fields so golden, the sloping vineyards so numerous, the river's majestic courses so calming, always-another castle waiting around the next bend.
This is the stuff dreams are made of - Rhine River dreams.